Over the past century, health care payment systems in the United States have undergone a significant and continual evolution, with this ongoing change being driven by a diversity of industry stakeholders and a broad spectrum of societal, technologic, clinical, financial, and legislative trends.
To prepare for this Application Assignment, review the information presented in this week’s Learning Resource readings on the history of provider payments and health insurance programs in the United States healthcare system and the external forces, financial practices, and major trends in the industry that have shaped the evolution of these systems. Then conduct a literature review of peer-reviewed, scholarly journals to broaden your understanding of these health care industry forces, practices, and trends and their impact on the evolution of the industry’s payment systems.
To complete this Application Assignment, write a 3 page paper in which you:
- Summarize the evolution of health care payment / health insurance systems and discuss the roles played by employers, insurers, and governmental agencies in this evolution. Next, describe how you believe health information technology and health information exchange will influence the future evolution of the US healthcare payment system. Support your opinion with peer-reviewed journal articles from resources outside the required readings.
Note: Be sure to cite at least two findings from your literature review in support of your response.
Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Pocket Guide to APA Style to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.
